Ebonyi State Governor, Francis Nwifuru, has issued a serious warning to civil servants participating in the ongoing strike over the non-implementation of the new national minimum wage.
Barely 24 hours into the industrial action, the governor threatened to withhold salaries and replace any worker who fails to resume duties within 72 hours.
Speaking during a live broadcast from his office at the Government House in Centenary City, Abakaliki, on Monday, Nwifuru expressed frustration with the strike and the leadership of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) in the state.
He insisted that his administration had met all obligations to workers, describing their grievances as unfounded.
“If you don’t go to work, not only that I will not pay you a salary, I will replace you within 72 hours in your office. I am not owing you. I am paying you what is supposed to be paid. If you don’t go to work within 72 hours, I will replace you,” Nwifuru declared
The governor further directed commissioners and heads of agencies to monitor attendance closely.
“I have directed all the commissioners to go to their offices. All the agencies and all the departments of government must be in their office and record the people that come to work. Those are the people I will pay through table payment by the number of days you attend to your duty in your office.”
The warning came in response to remarks by the NLC state chairman, Prof. Oguguo Egwu, who criticized the governor’s approach to addressing workers’ demands.
Egwu described the situation of civil servants in Ebonyi as “worrisome” and urged the state government to take decisive steps to address their plight.
Nwifuru, however, maintained that workers who choose to remain on strike should “forget about state government” benefits, stressing his commitment to ensuring government offices function effectively despite the ongoing dispute.
